Consider the Many Health Benefits of Bacon

January 30, 2013

There are numerous reasons why bacon should be on your next grocery shopping list. Consuming bacon on a regular basis has been shown to lower blood pressure and blood sugar in the body. Besides adding loads of flavor, bacon also lowers or alleviates the effects of diabetes, heart disease and strokes. According to a study done at University of Alabama published in International Journal of Obesity, the authors examined the influence of specific type and timing of food intake with development of metabolic syndrome characteristics in mice. The study showed that mice that ate a meal that was high in fat after waking up have normal metabolic profiles when compared to the mice that had carbohydrate rich meal in the morning. The study also showed that mice who consumed a high carbohydrate breakfast and high fat meals at the end of the day were likely to gain more weight, therefore, having an increase in fatty tissue and glucose tolerance. All of these factors are common markers for metabolic syndrome.

Bacon is an excellent source of high protein, low carbohydrate energy that helps to reset the metabolism, making weight loss much easier and is helpful in building muscle tissues that are lean and strong. Not only is bacon a good source of amino acids, but it does not contain any mercury – which is typically found in most seafood today. Moreover, the balance of protein to fat in bacon is a very healthy ratio of four to one; it is among the highest protein to fat balance ratios found in any source of meat, poultry or fish.

A major reason to enjoy bacon is that it contains choline, an important water-soluble vitamin in the B family; that helps boost memory and healthy brain function. Choline in our diet helps in preventing mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Rather than taking vitamins and minerals in a pill every day, eating bacon is a much more delicious way of providing the body with a range of essential vitamins and minerals to help the body organs function at peak efficiency. These include vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B12 (cobalamin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxal phosphate), zinc, iron and magnesium.

Bacon is a potent source of oleic acid and saturated fats. Both substances help reduce the levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), lower’s triglycerides, and raises HDL – commonly referred to as the good form of cholesterol. Strangely enough, most foodies don’t realize that bacon is also composed of monounsaturated fats – the kind that contains lots of healthy fat soluble vitamins and minerals.

Bacon is very easy to prepare, but in order to eliminate any trace of nitrates, bake instead of fry. And in order to keep things in the healthy zone, be careful not to overcook, make sure it’s organically sourced, and, if possible – buy from local farmers markets.

About the Author:

This guest post is contributed by Zara, financial guest blogger. Presently, she is focusing on ppi claims. Catch her @financeport.